Emissaries in training
by TheQueenUnderground
Summary: After Scott is presumably turned into a werewolf, Stiles starts reading books and also seeks help online. He starts talking to a girl who seems to know a lot about them and, after a while, she shows up in Beacon Hills. Once Stiles learns about emissaries, both he and the girl secretly start learning from Deaton.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi there. This chapter is sort of a short test drive so I can see if you'd like such a story.  
**

* * *

 **[ THREAD: Help wanted: werewolf or not? ]**

Okay, since I had no idea where else to find people who might be able to help me, I'm starting this thread here. Let's get one thing clear: I'm not interested in trolls so if you're only planning to write so you can mess with me then don't. Seriously, don't. If you do, I'll go full-on Liam Neeson and find you.

The thing is my friend is acting weird and no, it's not because he's taking drugs. He claims he was attacked and bitten by a wolf last night. In California. But there are no wild wolves in California now, right? Also, according to him, his wound mysteriously healed overnight and he hears thing he normally shouldn't be able to hear.

Later we had lacrosse tryouts and even though he's my best friend, I have to say he'd always been a terrible player. Well, not anymore: he was pretty awesome today. Then we went to the woods to find his inhaler-no sign of his asthma, by the way-and he could smell the Mint Mojito gum in my pocket. I didn't even know I had any left.

Since he'd told me that he was presumably bitten by a large wolf and his wound healed, I joked about him being turned into a werewolf but now I start to think that it isn't really a joke. What if he really did turn into one? If any of you have any idea what the hell this can mean, don't keep it to yourself, leave a comment. Unless you're a troll, of course. Then do everyone a favor and don't.

 **● Harbinger of the End:** Maybe it's just a coincidence. Wait a few days before jumping to conclusions.

 **● Steve_Jacobs:** Freak out when he starts howling at the moon.

 **● Anonymous:** Are you sure he's not using drugs? Or isn't it you? It sounds crazy if you ask me.

 **● morningstar31:** It might be a werewolf that bit him and how about waiting until the full moon? It's coming anyway. Update with what happened, please.

 **● Zoe:** I'm pretty sure it was a werewolf. PM for details!

 **● I'm not a hobbit:** maybe he was just bitten by a rabid dog. hah, shoot him so he won't suffer.

 **● Roscoe:** Seriously? I said no trolls!

 **~ \\_(** **ツ** **)_/ ~**

 **[Roscoe]:** What makes you so sure it was a werewolf?

 **[Zoe]:** Well, pretty much everything you wrote.

 **[Zoe]:** I mean, regarding your friend. Be happy he's still alive, though.

 **[Roscoe]:** Why?

 **[Zoe]:** As far as I know the bite of an alpha werewolf either turns you into a wolf or kills you.

 **[Zoe]:** The fact he healed means he was lucky.

 **[Roscoe]:** What can we do?

 **[Zoe]:** Hope he doesn't turn into a raging monster I guess.

 **[Roscoe]:** You think that's gonna happen?

 **[Zoe]:** I'm not sure but there's a chance, yes.

 **[Roscoe]:** I did some research already but there are so many books and websites.

 **[Roscoe]:** I could use some sort of a handling a werewolf 101 lecture.

 **[Zoe]:** Keep reading, you might find something interesting.

 **[Roscoe]:** How do you know about these things?

 **[Zoe]:** I have reliable sources. Look, I gotta go now, but you can find my email address on my profile page.

 **[Roscoe]:** What?

 **[Roscoe]:** Now?

 **[Roscoe]:** But I have so many questions!

 **[Roscoe]:** Zoe?

 **[Roscoe]:** Fine, I'll write you.

 **~ \\_(** **ツ** **)_/ ~**

 **From:** Roscoe  
 **To:** Zoe

Hey Zoe,

Look, I don't know a damn thing about werewolves but it's my best friend we're talking about so I **_need to_** learn **_everything_** ASAP. What do I even have to know? Wait, how can I even make sure that he really is a werewolf? It's one thing that I have a theory but maybe I'm wrong. I don't know.

Thanks,  
 _Roscoe_

* * *

 **According to my plan only the first few (short) chapters would be written in this format (chat and email conversations), later they would meet and everything would go as it does in a normal story. So what do you think? Should I continue?**


	2. Chapter 2

**From:** Zoe

 **To:** Roscoe

Hey Roscoe,

Well, it's pretty easy to test it, I think. Get some wolfsbane, put it in his food or drink then give it to him. If he's a werewolf, his body will react since it's like poison to them. If this isn't enough to convince him then I don't know what would be.

Bye,

 _Zoe_

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Hi Zoe,

Are you seriously expecting me to poison my best friend? Okay, I'll be online in the next few hours to do some research, you know where to find me.

 _Roscoe_

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **[Zoe]:** Yes, poisoning your friend is exactly what I meant but make sure you don't use to much of that stuff.

 **[Zoe]:** If you don't want to kill him, that is ;)

 **[Roscoe]:** Where do I even get wolfsbane?

 **[Zoe]:** I don't know. I don't even know where you live, so...

 **[Roscoe]:** Beacon Hills, CA

 **[Zoe]:** Wait, what?

 **[Zoe]:** You mean your friend was bitten by a werewolf in Beacon Hills?

 **[Roscoe]:** How is that relevant?

 **[Zoe]:** Well, there's only one family of werewolves there that I know of but they left years ago.

 **[Roscoe]:** Which family?

 **[Zoe]:** The Hales.

 **[Roscoe]:** What?

 **[Roscoe]:** We met Derek Hale in the woods when we were looking for the inhaler.

 **[Roscoe]:** So he's a werewolf, right?

 **[Zoe]:** I guess, but both or only one of your parents being a werewolf doesn't automatically mean that you're a werewolf, too. He might as well be human.

 **[Roscoe]:** Is he dangerous? If he is a werewolf, can he be the alpha?

 **[Zoe]:** How should I know? I've never met him.

 **[Roscoe]:** Then how do you know about his family?

 **[Zoe]:** It's one thing to know about a family, and a completely different one to actually know every member of it.

 **[Roscoe]:** Gosh, there's no need to be so mean.

 **[Roscoe]:** Whatever.

 **[Roscoe]:** Do you have any advice on where to look for information exactly?

 **[Zoe]:** Um, I might have some ideas. I'll send an email soon.

 **[Roscoe]:** Thanks.

 **[Roscoe]:** For everything. Really.

 **[Zoe]:** No problem.

 **[Roscoe]:** Can I ask you something?

 **[Zoe]:** Sure.

 **[Roscoe]:** How old are you?

 **[Zoe]:** 15

 **[Roscoe]:** And you already know about these things?

 **[Zoe]:** Why, how old are you?

 **[Roscoe]:** ...

 **[Zoe]:** Come on, out with it. 40? 60?

 **[Roscoe]:** Very funny. No, I'm 16.

 **[Zoe]:** And you're already dealing with werewolves? Wow.

 **[Roscoe]:** Okay, fine, I deserved that.

 **[Zoe]:** You do know my age is actually on my profile page, right?

 **[Roscoe]:** I wasn't looking for this information.

 **[Zoe]:** Well, okay. I'll go collect those websites for you now.

 **[Roscoe]:** Thanks.

 **[Zoe]:** You're welcome. Bye.

 **[Roscoe]:** Bye.

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Hi Zoe,

Thanks for the help. Here's a little update in case you're interested. If you're not... Well, I'll write it down anyway.

Since I don't have any wolfsbane I couldn't test my theory. Seriously, where can I get that stuff? Anyway, I told my friend about what I'd read about werewolves but he didn't believe me. In fact, he got angry all of sudden when I advised him to cancel the date he has tonight. You know what's today? The full moon. But he will go on that damn date and I'm afraid he'll hurt the girl. And/or others. What makes me think that? Right before he left her almost punched me in the face but pushed hit swivel chair instead. You can see the result on the attached photo.

Am I going crazy or do these really look like claw marks? You know, even if I showed him this I don't think he would believe me. I have no idea what to do. Any ideas? I have to convince him before it's too late which means I only have a couple of hours left to figure it out.

 _Roscoe_

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Zoe

 **To:** Roscoe

Hey Roscoe,

Haha, that sucks, I wouldn't like to be in your place. Okay, seriously, I admit it looks bad, really bad at the moment but who knows, maybe he'll freak out when he starts to turn for the first time. The best thing you can do is being around to keep an eye on him. Wait, this sounds weird, I don't mean you should be a stalker, you should just keep your phone close just in case.

By the way, keep me updated. I mean, only if you need someone to talk about this.

Bye,

 _Zoe_

* * *

 **Thank you for the reviews, here's the next chapter. You can't imagine how badly I want the two of them to work together in real life.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi there! Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows, they mean a lot. As you'll see, the story will jump in time and from this point on the chapters will be longer.  
**

* * *

 **[Zoe]:** How was the full moon?

 **[Roscoe]:** We survived it and my friend didn't kill anyone.

 **[Zoe]:** Awesome.

 **[Roscoe]:** Yeah, it is.

 **[Roscoe]:** Also now we know for sure that Derek Hale is a werewolf.

 **[Zoe]:** And?

 **[Roscoe]:** And?

 **[Roscoe]:** He's probably the alpha.

 **[Zoe]:** Okay.

 **[Roscoe]:** Is that all you have to say?

 **[Zoe]:** What else should I say?

 **[Roscoe]:** I don't know, maybe something like now all you need is a plan to kill him. Then you should give me an advice.

 **[Zoe]:** Right. Who do you think I am? Obi-Wan?

 **[Roscoe]:** Star Wars reference?

 **[Zoe]:** Shut up, you know what I mean.

 **[Roscoe]:** Yeah, I know. So does this mean you're not in the mood to help me?

 **[Zoe]:** Yes, this is exactly what it means, Roscoe. Sorry.

 **[Roscoe]:** No problem.

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Zoe

 **To:** Roscoe

Hey Roscoe,

Just FYI, I didn't mean to be a bitch. Sorry about that.

Bye,

 _Zoe_

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Zoe

 **To:** Roscoe

Okay, here's the thing: alphas believe they are smarter than everyone. In like eighty percent of the case it's actually true but in the other nineteen they are just egoistic assholes. The remaining one percent? Well, you'd better run from them but this is an incredibly rare thing. Otherwise I don't see the point of killing the alpha until you actually figure out who they are and what they want from your friend.

I'm serious, werewolves are stronger in packs. The moment a beta leaves or gets kicked out of the pack, it becomes an omega. And a werewolf doesn't survive for long without a pack.

 _Zoe_

PS: Will you tell me what happened on the night of the full moon?

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Well, now we know for sure that Derek Hale is a werewolf. After my friend left the party/date because he started turning into a wolf that sneaky son of a bitch gave his girlfriend a ride home then took her jacket. My friend went crazy when he found out that Derek even talked to his girlfriend and followed her scent... into the woods. Of course she was already home, Derek only took her jacket to the woods to lure my friend there. As far as I know he tried to convince him that they have to rely on each other from now on. I don't even know what he was thinking.

BUT-and this is where the story gets interesting-they were attacked by hunters. And who was one of them? The girlfriend's father. I'm not kidding, this really is what happened. What are the chances of that? What do you think we should do now?

Oh, and he tried to kill me today. Maybe this will be our special thing in the future :)

 _Roscoe_

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me," Annie told her mother as she glanced over at her.

She smiled at Annie for a moment before turning her gaze back on the road. "I know it's important to you," she began reassuringly, "and this is like a little vacation for us, isn't it?"

The girl laughed at her mother's optimism and leaned the side of her head against the cold window. Well, she was right. Except a normal vacation wouldn't be so tiring emotionally. She wasn't stupid, she knew at one point she would definitely end up crying like a baby. Closing her eyes, she tried to clear her thoughts.

Everything had begun with Roscoe, especially when she found out he lived in Beacon Hills. That was the moment when something clicked in her brain: first it was some vague story about the Hale family, one she heard from her father years ago, just before he died, then as she went through his journals, this place appeared over and over again. The new, supernatural situation in Beacon Hills escalated in the following months, and Annie found herself in the position of some sort of an advisor when it came to Roscoe. Though he wanted to help his friend, he lacked the knowledge she owned thanks to her late father's belongings.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" her mother asked worriedly.

Annie looked over at her, the woman who looked almost exactly like she probably would in her age. Dark red hair, piercing blue eyes, delicate features and a thin, fragile-looking body. For the first time since they got into the car she thought about what they were even doing. As far as she knew this place was pretty crazy and dangerous lately so by going there, even if it was only for a week, she was risking her mother's life. Should she tell her all this? Probably not.

"I'm okay, just a little tired," she replied quietly. It wasn't entirely a lie, she just decided to hide part of the truth. "I spent most of last night going through dad's notes and journals so I could decide which ones to bring here."

Silence fell between them but Annie didn't mind it at all. Her mother's gaze was fixed on the road but the girl didn't miss how she anxiously bit her lower lip, keeping herself from saying whatever was on her mind. Leaning her head back against the seat with closed eyes she let out a questioning hum. "Are you sure this man is doing the same thing your father did?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I mean I found some weird notes next to his name in dad's phone book which is probably a code name he used in the journals. According to that yes, they talked about these supernatural things a few times."

"And was bringing Zoe with us part of the plan?"

With raised eyebrows she turned back to take a look at the dog that'd fallen asleep almost half an hour before. "Did you expect me to leave her alone while we're here?" she asked her mother incredulously once she looked back at her.

"Your uncle offered to look out for her," her mother pointed out.

"Yeah, right," the girl began with a huff, "because I would leave her behind. Also, I'm about to visit a vet, she's a good alibi."

Several miles later they finally passed the sign which welcomed them to Beacon Hills. This was the point of no return. A small part in the back of her mind doubted it was a good idea and she would achieve anything but she couldn't back out now. Ever since she was a little kid Annie loved her father's stories and after his death she spent more than enough time reading his books and journals. What he did back in the day was a good thing because he was helping people. He was helping an alpha werewolf.

When Annie'd found Roscoe's post on that website she decided to give it a shot, even if the poster was just some bored troll. The more they talked, though, the more obvious it became that this guy was truly desperate to help his friend. Helping others by using the knowledge that was her father's heritage made her feel much better. Eventually she realized how this feeling could be one of the many reasons why someone became an emissary.

"What will you tell him?" her mother suddenly asked.

Any let out a short hum while she thought about the answer. "I don't know yet," she admitted before adding, "but I have a few hours left to figure it out."

"And what about your friend? Did you tell him you we're coming here?"

"He's not my friend and it's none of his business."

"Okay, if you say so."

Annie rolled her eyes at the woman but didn't say anything. She glanced at the digital clock on the screen of her phone before turning back to look at Zoe. "You know what? It's still pretty early so I'll get over it now." When she saw her mother's expression she let out a sigh. "I could use a ride to the animal clinic. If it's still open, I'm going to talk to the doc now."

Without asking further questions her mother nodded and, following the instructions of the GPS, eventually drove the girl to her requested destination. The car stopped, the engine fell silent, and Annie suddenly froze. Through the dim light outside she watched the door of the clinic, thinking about how to begin once she entered the building. Maybe she should say Zoe's been sneezing a lot lately and even coughed-or something like that. It'd happened before when she caught a cold.

Taking a deep breath, she climbed out of the car then let Zoe out as well. Her mother flashed a supporting smile at her through the window which Annie returned immediately then decided to finally walk inside the clinic. The faint smell of disinfectant made her nauseous for a moment but luckily it didn't last long, and by the time a man she assumed to be the vet she was looking for walked to the reception Annie was already standing with a small smile on her lips.

"Hello, how can I help you?" he asked kindly.

"Hi, my name is Annie. We came to Beacon Hills with my mother for like a week and on the way here I heard Zoe sneeze quite a lot. I don't know what that means exactly, I mean if it's just a common cold or allergy or something."

Nodding, the vet motioned towards the back of the clinic and the girl followed him without asking questions. Once Zoe was up on the table the vet began to examine her. "Was the air conditioning on in the car? Maybe it was only that," he suggested, glancing over at the girl who stood with her back resting against the wall.

"Yeah, my mom said the same thing but I wanted to make sure she's okay," Annie replied with a nervous smile as she swept a strand of hair behind her ear. She was a terrible liar and she was perfectly aware of it.

For long minutes the girl had to bear the disappointed look in her dog's eyes whenever she looked over at her owner. It was, in a way, cruel to drag a healthy dog to the vet as an alibi but this time she had no other choice. Then the vet straitened up and petted Zoe's head. "Well, I have a feeling she's perfectly fine and there's nothing to worry about," he said but obviously didn't miss how nervous she was. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes... and no." Dr. Deaton gave her a confused and almost questioning look which made her let out a long sigh. "Did you, by any chance, know someone called Patrick Moore?"

"I did, why?"

"He was," she began hesitantly, "he was my father. Ever since he died I've been reading his journals and your name kept appearing. Are you doing what he did? Are you an emissary?"

For a moment he looked a bit taken aback by her straightforward question but it was soon replaced with an understanding smile. "You knew Zoe was perfectly healthy, didn't you?" he then asked, and the question was answered by the girl with a simple nod. "Why now? Why are you so interested in this?"

Annie watched as he rested his hips against the other table with his hands folded over his chest, his eyes never leaving hers. Gulping loudly, the girl walked over to the impatient Australian Shepherd and crouched next to her, eventually kissing her forehead before answering the question. "I always liked his stories. After he died I obviously missed him and went through his books and journals in hope it would make me feel better. My mom also told me a lot of things and everything began to make sense when… You know what? That's not important."

"I'm interested."

"I started looking for something on different websites about the supernatural. On one I found this story earlier this year, posted by a guy who calls himself Roscoe. He was asking for help and advice because he was certain his best friend had been bitten by a werewolf, and everything he wrote seemed way too familiar, not like in other cases when people were clearly messing with each other or were simply delusional. So I wrote and started helping him, telling things I'd learned from my father's books, and soon it turned out he lives in Beacon Hills. During one of our first conversations he even mentioned a guy called Derek Hale and I'd already heard this surname in a story of my father's," she explained but stopped as if she was only taking a short break to think.

Though Dr. Deaton had clearly perfected his poker face over the years, for a fleeting moment he let this mask slip and she could tell the name Derek Hale wasn't unfamiliar to him. Shaking her head, Annie decided to play along for now and went on with her little story.

"I don't really know why but I liked it. I mean, I was helping someone who was clearly desperate to get answers and who knows, there's a chance this feeling is exactly why my father did this, too. He was giving advices to an alpha werewolf which is clearly more important than helping another teenager who had no idea what was going on around him exactly."

"Maybe he did," Dr. Deaton suddenly spoke up, holding back a laugh. When the girl gave him a questioning look, he went on, "Maybe your friend, Roscoe, knew what was going on, he just didn't know what to do to help his friends. It's a big difference. Look, is it just me, or are you here because you want to do what your father did?"

Annie bit her lower lip and looked down at her sneakers. "Maybe. I don't know. Sometimes I have a feeling his books and journals aren't enough to teach me everything. I guess I need some help. I need some sort of a mentor," she admitted.

Silence. Again.

She had a feeling it was a bad idea to come here after all and he thought she was stupid or something. Maybe it was time to go. Letting out a sigh, she stood up and grabbed Zoe's leash to get her off the table. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come here like that. Goodbye," she told him with a forced smile. "Come on, sweetie, let's go."

"I didn't say I wouldn't help you," Dr. Deaton said to stop her. When Annie turned around, he continued. "But I need you to be a hundred percent sure that this is what you want. If you decide to learn from me, the least I need from you is to come here after the end of the current semester and stay for the Summer. If your mother can't come here with you, you can stay in my house, I have enough space. Your father was a good person, a great advisor to the alpha he worked with, and if you're anything like him, I'd be happy to help."

"Seriously?" Annie asked incredulously.

"Yes, seriously. Also, one thing you told me gave me an idea." The girl tilted her head to the side, just about to ask him what was that supposed to mean. "You'll find out if you decide to come here."

She didn't say yes right away, only asked for a day or two to think about the offer. After saying goodbye, Annie walked out of the building and sat in the back seat with Zoe right next to her. After giving her mother a quick update, she pulled out the tablet from her bag and opened the last email she'd received from Roscoe. Apparently Dr. Deaton knew exactly who Roscoe really was. At least she finally found out that he wasn't some random nutjob and everything he'd told her so far was true. Which meant something was seriously wrong with Beacon Hills. But, she thought as she looked out of the window, scratching the back of Zoe's ear, maybe it was worth the risk to spend the Summer here and be trained to become an emissary, just like her father used to be.

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Hey,

Good news, Beacon Hills is officially kanima and psycho hunter free now! Also, it turned out that my dear friend can be pretty clever sometimes. I swear I'll tell you all the details but I'm dead tired so I guess I'll just sleep through the next two days.

 _Roscoe_

* * *

 **I guess you already know that Annie's username was her dog's name. Anyway, how did you like it? Should I even continue this? I'm not sure anymore.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

For weeks Annie tried to decide whether or not to tell Roscoe about her moving to Beacon Hills for the summer. Then she thought about if telling him would change anything, if it would make any difference in their… well, relationship. The answer was clearly no and, at the end of the day, she had no intention to meet him in person anyway. It's not that she didn't like him based on their previous conversations, it was just the fact she wanted to focus on whatever Deaton was planning to teach her. After all that was the sole reason of the whole summer school thing, wasn't it?

Since her mother couldn't join Annie because of her job, the girl packed most of her father's books and journals in the car, filling up the extra space the older woman's absence gave her. Who knew which ones she would need in the following weeks and Zoe still had more than enough space in the back seat. Part of her felt quite bad for taking their beloved dog to Beacon Hills, leaving her mother behind alone, but she needed a reminder of her family and the actual, peaceful life she had back in Los Angeles.

The road to her new, temporary home took long hours, so the moment her car finally parked on the driveway of the vet's house and the engine fell silent, Annie let out a tired sigh. She turned back to look at Zoe who immediately sat up, knowing perfectly well they'd just reached their destination. "Yes, that's right, we're finally here," she said before getting out of the car to open the back door for her.

"Welcome to Beacon Hills, Annie."

The girl glanced up and noticed her host walking towards the driveway from the front door. "Hello, Dr. Deaton," she chirped happily, locking the door behind Zoe. "How about going out to eat something? I'm pretty much starving, to be honest, and that's the least I can do for you after letting me stay for such a long time." Once she opened the trunk to get out her suitcases, the vet immediately took them from her. "Thanks."

"No problem. About that dinner," he began while she locked down the car, "it sounds great."

Her temporary bedroom was upstairs in one end of the hallway while Deaton's was on the opposite side. It was simple, just like any other guest room would be, but for now that was okay. Deaton even put in a comfortable looking bed for Zoe who immediately ran over to take a look at it before eventually lying down. It was probably a good thing to have a vet around, at least she had a feeling Zoe would be spoiled in the following weeks.

"I'll leave you to unpack but before that, I have a surprise for you," Deaton announced, earning a questioning look from the girl. "What you told me about Roscoe made me think and it wasn't so hard to figure out who he really is. You know, I think he would be a great emissary one day so I convinced him to join us in the following months."

But Annie's reaction probably wasn't even close to what he'd expected. She froze and gulped loudly while burying her fingers in her long, red hair to fight the sudden feeling of anxiety that rushed through her body. It definitely wasn't the good kind of surprise. "Will he?" she asked after a while, her voice shockingly hoarse. Once the vet nodded, she decided to ask the only thing that came to her mind. "Does he know I'll be there, too? Does he even know who I really am?"

"I mentioned it, yes."

"Are you sure about this? I mean, won't it be problematic?"

Deaton let out a short laugh as he leaned against the doorframe with his hand stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. "No, I think it will be okay. Sure, he's a bit hyperactive sometimes, but as far as I know if he wants to learn more about a topic he's interested in he can be really dedicated. And, since the point of it all is to help his best friend, he'll be more focused," he began but stopped for a moment to think. "At least I hope he'll be."

Then he left, giving her time to make herself at home. Within half an hour Annie unpacked most of her suitcases, eventually lying across the bed to catch her breath. Staying in an unfamiliar house didn't seem to be so scary anymore; in fact it was quite exciting. Her phone that she'd put on the nightstand not long ago beeped quietly, notifying her about an incoming message.

It was an email from Roscoe.

Well, knowing what Deaton had in mind, seeing that the boy had already sent her three messages wasn't very surprising. Possibly he had millions of questions just like she did. Who wouldn't in such a situation? It was much like a blind date, except not for possible lovers but lab partners.

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Hi Zoe,

You're going to stay in Beacon Hills for months and haven't thought about telling me?

 _Roscoe_

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

Zoe, come on, write me!

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **From:** Roscoe

 **To:** Zoe

I'm serious. Have you talked to Deaton? If you did, you already know we'll do this together. Don't you think we should talk about it?

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

 **[Roscoe]:** Finally!

 **[Zoe]:** Yeah, sorry, I was a bit busy unpacking my suitcases.

 **[Roscoe]:** So you're really here in Beacon Hills?

 **[Zoe]:** I am.

 **[Roscoe]:** It's gonna be so weird.

 **[Roscoe]:** I mean, we haven't even met yet but we'll spend the whole summer together.

 **[Zoe]:** Well, a part of it.

 **[Roscoe]:** Thank you, Captain Obvious. I know we won't be together all day long.

 **[Zoe]:** :)

 **[Zoe]:** Hey, do you think I can meet your friend at some point? It would be nice to know who you were so worried about.

 **[Roscoe]:** Sure, why not? Just don't tell him how we know each other.

 **[Roscoe]:** By the way, can I get your number? I wanted to text you about all this but I realized I didn't have it. Why haven't we exchanged numbers yet?

 **[Zoe]:** I don't know but I'll give it to you tomorrow.

 **[Roscoe]:** How about a little tour around Beacon Hills? You'll spend quite a lot of time here after all.

 **[Zoe]:** Sounds good to me.

 **[Roscoe]:** Awesome. See you tomorrow.

 **[Zoe]:** Goodnight, Roscoe.

 **[Roscoe]:** Actually, it's Stiles. Roscoe is my precious Jeep.

 **[Zoe]:** Annie. And Zoe is my dog :)

 **[Zoe]:** Wait, wait, what kind of name is Stiles?

 **[Zoe]:** Are you here?

 **[Zoe]:** I guess you're not.

~ \\_(ツ)_/ ~

On the morning of his first official day as an emissary in training Stiles paced back and forth restlessly in his bedroom. It was early but the raised dosage of Adderall he'd taken made sure he was wide awake already, pretty much unable to wait until it was finally time to leave the house. He thought about waiting in the car but maybe that would look a little creepy. No, it would definitely look creepy.

Letting out a groan he sank on the swivel chair and put his feet on the corner of his desk. School was over and Scott, his usual partner in crime was trying to get over Allison by spending a surprisingly huge amount of time practicing lacrosse and studying. Scott McCall was studying on his own free will; part of him was shocked while another was undeniably proud. Hopefully it would be more than just some fleeting thing for his friend.

Meanwhile Stiles felt a bit neglected and the opportunity Deaton offered was too perfect to refuse. All the things he'd seen and learned from the vet while they were trying to find and stop the kanima were intriguing, and Stiles also knew his friend needed help. Sure, Deaton was already some sort of an emissary for him, but they were best friends, brothers even, so having the knowledge to give him good advices seemed almost fundamental.

Having Zoe-no, Annie there as well was both awesome and scary. What if in real life she was nothing like the girl he'd gotten to know online? There was a huge chance she was simply playing some sort of a role all along. Then again why would Deaton agree to train her if that was the case? No, he shouldn't stress himself with this.

Then his phone finally beeped, telling him it was time to go. With a nervous grin he jumped up and raced down to the Jeep, barely wasting time to say proper goodbye to his dad who was drinking coffee in the kitchen with the newspaper lying in front of him. Stiles didn't miss the questioning frown on his face but, since his father still didn't know about the supernatural happenings of Beacon Hills, he decided not to give him the chance to start some sort of an interrogation. He was good at that game but, sadly, his father was still better.

As he got near his destination, Stiles realized he'd never been to Deaton's home before; he wasn't sure if even Scott had been there either. He wondered if it would be full of weird things that were related to his job as an emissary or if he has done secret room in the basement where he kept the most interesting things. But maybe it was just an ordinary house with ordinary things.

From the outside, as he noted only a couple of minutes later, the building looked perfectly average. After parking behind the two cars on the driveway he climbed out of the Jeep and walked over to the front door that opened before he had the chance to knock.

"Good morning, Stiles," Deaton greeted him with a smile then stepped aside to let him in.

"Morning," he replied as he walked inside, taking a quick look around the hall. Nope, there was nothing weird about it. "So... Where's Annie?"

The pair walked into the living room and while Stiles sat on the couch the vet replied, "Upstairs in her room. She took Zoe for a walk this morning and they'd only gotten back a few minutes ago."

"Oh," Stiles said disappointedly. Now he had to wait and waiting wasn't what he really wanted to do that day. He wanted to learn. A lot. And... like... right away. "What's the plan for today? How do we start this?" All he needed was a little sneak peek until the girl finally came downstairs so, despite the way Deaton rolled his eyes, he kept going. "Is there some sort of a guide for training emissaries?"

Before the older man had a chance to answer the question the sound of a dog running towards them caught their attention. It had to be Zoe and only seconds later Stiles saw the Australian Shepherd storm into the living room, almost immediately sitting down next to Deaton. She was suspicious, to say the least, and he was slightly taken aback by the strange look in her eyes. Was she about to bite him? Because she definitely looked like she was just about to bite him.

What the hell happened to you, dude? Oh, nothing, Scott, I was just bitten by this cute, fluffy dog that hated me for absolutely no reason.

This would be the perfect story to embarrass himself with in the future.

"Stiles, are you listening?" Deaton asked with a frown. Once he nodded and quickly apologized, the vet motioned towards a girl who was standing right next to him. "As I was saying, she's Annie."

She raised her hand and waved at him with a nervous smile on her lips. For one very short moment Stiles thought she looked a bit like Lydia. Okay, Lydia was a strawberry blonde while Annie's hair was red. Also, Lydia's hair was almost wavy, not like Annie's that was perfectly straight. Why was he comparing her to Lydia anyway? No, it didn't make sense and Lydia had absolutely nothing to do with all this.

After quickly shaking his head to get these thoughts out of his mind Stiles cleared his throat and returned her smile. "Hey, it's good to see you in person," he said then turned to Deaton. "So, where do we start again?"

"You're going to read a lot today."

"Are you kidding me?"

Deaton shrugged at him. "No, I'm not. Annie brought some books and journals with her and I want you two to get familiar with them. All of them."

This time even Annie gave the vet a surprised and questioning look. "Wait, what? I've already read them like a million times," she pointed out angrily. "Are you expecting me to just sit around and watch TV all day long while Stiles is reading? That's not why I came to Beacon Hills."

"You two are going to read those books," he began firmly, "and trust me, I'll know if you didn't read a page."

At that very moment Stiles wondered why he signed up for this to begin with. Was it to late to change his mind? Maybe it was. And maybe he wasn't the only one who regretted this decision, at least that's what the look on Annie's face told him.

* * *

T **hank you for your kind words and support, they really mean a lot. This chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be but sadly things are pretty crazy at work so I don't really have much time (and energy and patience) to write these days. Also, my family adopted this ridiculously cute dog a few days ago and... well... you know. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter :)**


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